


What's My Name Again?

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: BixFreed [15]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crushes, Falling In Love, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Secret Identity, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-25 14:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16662619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: Freed has never had interest in any of his customers, especially those that throw their numbers at him. However, he finds himself attracted to a shy customer who refuses to use his real name..





	What's My Name Again?

    Freed hummed softly as he cleaned down the counters, the coffee shop had finally quietened down after the lunchtime rush, and he was seizing the chance to catch up on all the little jobs that had been neglected for the past couple of hours. It was one of the many reasons he much preferred working the evening shifts, which were normally the only ones he could fit around his class schedule but the college was shut for the day, and his boss had been desperate, and shorthanded. Freed glanced at the clock, still an hour until he was free to go and he was trying not to think about the stack of coursework he had waiting for him at home.

“Um…hello?”

“Sorry,” Freed apologised, silently cursing himself for having missed the bell on the door and turning to face the customer, only to falter for a moment as he found himself staring into crimson eyes. They weren’t the most striking feature in the man’s face that title would have to go to the unusual tattoo covering most of his face, but Freed found himself unable to look away and it took him a minute to remember that he had a job to do. “What can I get you?”

“A cappuccino to go, please,” the man asked quietly, a hint of colour seeping into his cheeks and Freed coughed awkwardly as he realised that he was still staring and hastily reaching for the cup, relieved to find that his hands were steady even though his heart was pounding slightly in his chest.

“Sure,” he agreed as he grabbed a pen, before glancing back up at the man, unable to completely hide his anticipation as he asked. “What’s your name?” It was a question that he was never fully comfortable asking, but today he found himself desperately wanting to know the answer. “Sir?” He prompted when a couple of minutes had gone by without a reply, glad that there wasn’t anyone else in the queue to experience this awkwardness.

“Superman!”

“S…Superman?” Freed echoed incredulously, blinking as he glanced between the cup in his hand and the man who had glanced to the side looking incredibly flustered. _Seriously?_ Freed had got used to the fact that people often gave silly names for their coffee, and to be honest, he generally didn’t care as long as they remembered to answer to whatever they had given to him. But he didn’t think he had ever heard someone blurt such a ridiculous false name quite so earnestly, and part of him wanted to demand a proper answer, while the other part was enchanted by the man in front of him. It was that part that won out, and there was a small smile on his face as he scribbled the moniker onto the couple before moving away to make the drink.

    He found himself shooting sideways glances at the man, feeling himself blushing slightly when he glanced up to see that ‘Superman’ was doing the same. Freed had encountered dozens of people or more since he’d started working here, and he’d found himself being offered a whole host of numbers much to his co-worker, Evergreen’s disgust, but it was an interest he had never once returned…but this man… _is cute_ …He thought as he held out the drink a moment later, smiling as the taller man and feeling butterflies in his stomach as their fingers brushed briefly and he couldn’t stop himself from asking hopefully.

“See you again soon?”

    The man let out a choked noise at the question, looking completely stunned, and for a moment Freed feared that he was going to drop his drink. At the last minute ‘Superman’ tightened his hold on, meeting Freed’s gaze for a fleeting second before giving a tiny nod.

“Yeah…see you soon.” As soon as he had finished speaking, he turned and practically fled from the shop, and Freed was amused to see the tips of his ears had turned bright red as well. It was foolish, he didn’t even know the man’s real name yet, but he found himself turning back to his jobs with a fresh bounce to his step, already eagerly anticipating the man’s next visit.

****

   Two weeks had passed since he’d first seen ‘Superman’, and he had been dismayed when it had dawned on him that the other man might have assumed that was his normal shift. However, when he had tried to ask Evergreen and the others if they’d seen him at all, it sounded as though he hadn’t been back at all, and now he was worried that he might have managed to chase him off completely. It didn’t help that Evergreen had noticed that there was more than simple curiosity behind his question, and now spent every shift that they had together, asking for more information on his ‘mystery man’. Which was both irritating, and a reminder that he knew absolutely nothing about the guy, and he found himself growing more and more distracted by the day.

_Even if I could just learn his name…_

**

   Finally, three weeks after that first meeting and just as Freed was beginning to get ready to close the shop for the night the bell rang, and he felt his breath catching as he turned, to find himself staring at the very person who had been plaguing his thoughts since then. _Ha, take that Ever…_ He thought, as his best friend had taken to teasing him that he must’ve imagined this customer, and he wished that she was here so that he could prove her wrong. Then again had she been here, she would have dropped him in it without a moment’s notice. Realising that he was staring again, he stepped up to the counter and grabbed a cup before asking softly.

“Cappuccino to go?” He hoped that the order hadn’t changed, because then at least he could say that he knew one thing about the man, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the shy nod that met his question. “What name are you using today?” _Please use your real one…_

“Batman!”

“Batman?” Freed sighed, realising that he wasn’t going to get another answer as the man glanced aside and he dutifully wrote the name down, smiling faintly as he did so. _Idiot_ … Shaking his head he went to make the drink, this time forcing himself not to glance too often as he really didn’t want to risk scaring the other man off, but as he worked he could feel the gaze burning into his back and he bit his bottom lip as he fought to stop himself from turning around.

“Is this your normal shift?” The quiet question as he handed the drink over a couple of minutes later startled him, and he blinked for a moment, taking in the way ‘Batman’ was carefully avoiding meeting his gaze directly, growing redder by the moment and he took pity on the man after a moment although it was tempting to see how red he could go.

“Yes, I’m here most evenings.”

“I’ll see you soon then,” this time he got a fleeting smile as the man turned to leave, and the butterflies he had felt last time they had spoken were nothing compared to the ones currently fluttering around in Freed’s stomach, and it took him longer than he should have to realise that the man was gone.

_See you soon…_

****

Two months later:

   True to his word the man started to come back every other evening, always at the end of the night when there was no one else in the shop and always asking for the same thing. Slowly they began to chat about silly things, the weather, what they studied when the man had come in carrying in a pile of library books, and it turned out that he was in the same college as Freed, just in the science department which was why their paths had never crossed before. And gradually Freed began to pile up a list of information about the other man.  Like the fact that he wanted to go on to university to study chemistry, that his favourite colour was green, that he hated chocolate. He had looked extremely offended when Freed had tried to suggest he try a different drink for once and had proposed a Moch. That he was a night owl which was why he was drinking coffee so late and one hundred and one different little facts. Each one making Freed fall for him harder and harder, the butterflies in his stomach intensifying every time the man came in.

   Yet, he still didn’t have a clue what the man’s real name was. They had gone through every possible superhero and supervillain, and then the man had shifted to literary characters after learning that Freed was studying English. A little change that had left Freed nearly as red as the shyer man, but so far he hadn’t had so much as a hint as to what the other man’s name was, and not for lack of asking. It was a little unfair he thought as he stared down at the mug he was cleaning, his name was on display for everyone to see on his name badge. Although now that he thought about it, the other man had never actually called him by his name either, and he felt himself blushing lightly at the thought of hearing his name in the other’s deep voice. _Damn it…_

“You look like you’re considering whether you can fit in the mug.” The teasing voice made him jump with an undignified squeak, embarrassed to realise that once again he had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the other man entering, or that it was even that time. No wonder Evergreen had been laughing at him so often lately, as soon as his thoughts turned to the other man - his ‘lover boy’ as she so eloquently put it, he had a bad habit of forgetting everything else. Still, he couldn’t help but relish the easy banter which would have been impossible even a month behind, and he smiled as he sat the mug down.

“Oh really?” He teased back, meeting crimson eyes with more than a hint of mischief in his expression. “I was considering how much chocolate I could slip into your drink…”

“You wouldn’t?!”

“I wouldn’t,” Freed agreed easily, smiling as the horrified expression eased out into one of relief, even as he wondered how anyone could hate chocolate. _At least that means he won’t steal mine…_ He froze as he realised where his thoughts had gone, wondering if he was as red as he felt, and he coughed awkwardly before reaching for a takeaway cup. “The usual?” He caught the small nod, and the normality helped to calm his racing nerves, and he thought nothing of the way crimson eyes lingered on his face as he asked the next question, wondering what moniker he would be given tonight. “What name are you going by tonight?”

“B-Bickslow.” That had sounded far more hesitant that his usual response and Freed glanced up just in time to watch the blush that spread across the other man’s face. A smile crept across his face as crimson eyes met his for a fleeting second, before the man…Bickslow…glanced away with an embarrassed laugh, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his head. “I…figured it was time you got my real name…Freed.” That was it. The butterflies that had risen when it had begun to dawn on him that he finally, finally knew the others name exploded when Bickslow used his name.

    He didn’t think about it, utterly oblivious to the fact that someone else had just walked into the shop as he leant across the counter, reaching out to grab Bickslow gently by the scarf and pull him in closer so that he could press their lips together. He had acted completely on impulse, and he was delighted when he felt Bickslow responding just as eagerly despite the awkward position, and he couldn’t help the giddy laugh that slipped out as they pulled apart.

“Bickslow…” _Bickslow_ , he was never going to get tired of that name he decided then and there, savouring the feel of it on his tongue.

“I would have told you my name weeks ago if I knew it would have got that result,” Bickslow teased him, cheeks bright red, but the brightest grin that Freed had ever seen from him lighting up his face and Freed found himself staring at it in awe, utterly oblivious to anything else.

“You should have!” Another voice rang out and Freed jolted as he recognised it, releasing Bickslow as he turned to look at the newcomer, swallowing nervously as he caught the mischievous smirk playing on her lips as her gaze darted between the pair of them. “Then I wouldn’t have had to see him moping around so much.”

“Ever!” He protested weakly, feeling himself blushing brightly as he heard the soft chuckle from Bickslow and he glowered at his best friend who looked unrepentant as she walked up to Bickslow, practically circling him.

“So this is him?” She asked, and Freed sighed and nodded, realising that there was no way he was going to get out of this one. She had been asking for weeks to be allowed to come and have a nosy at the man who had caught her friend’s attention, but so far he had managed to hold her at bay, but now he found himself waiting with bated breath for her next words. Praying that Bickslow wasn’t going to get upset by all this. “I approve…” Evergreen stated finally, smiling up at Bickslow before shooting a look at Freed and he could see the challenge behind it, and he knew that if he didn’t do something, then she would speak up.

“Bickslow…” He still couldn’t get used to actually knowing the other man’s name, and he ignored Evergreen snorting at the no doubt ridiculous smile he could feel on his lips as he met crimson eyes as the taller man turned back to look at him. “Would you go out with me?” He was stunned that it had come out so evenly, especially as his heart was hammering in his chest, butterflies dancing in his stomach.

“Yes.” Freed was still reeling from the soft agreement, and he was caught by surprise when this time it was Bickslow who reached out and pulled him into a soft kiss, neither of them paying any mind to Evergreen as she sighed in exasperation before turning and heading for the door, flipping the sign to closed as she slipped out.

_It’s about damn time…_


End file.
